As the shorter days signal the coming of winter, there is one essential task to complete in your garden: pruning back your shrubs and trees so they survive the coming cooler days.
Maintaining a garden makes a substantial difference to the value and desirability of your home when the time comes to sell.
Gardens can sway buyers, especially when reducing their short list of desirable properties.
These six tips will prime your garden for next spring and summer.
Trees and shrubs
Only prune after they’ve dropped their leaves. It will be an excellent opportunity to reshape the plant if it has become a little unruly. Avoid heavy pruning as this may encourage growth just when it should be falling into dormancy for winter.
Fruit Trees
All pip trees, including apples and pears, should be pruned right now. Try to cut into the trees to open up the centers to improve the amount of air and sunlight that can penetrate. Remove dead and diseased branches.
Lavender
A wonderful shrub that’s everyone’s favorite. But it’s so easy to kill it when pruning. Only cut the new growth. Never cut it back to the wood. If you’re too brutal with lavender, it will not survive.
Roses
A light prune is ideal at this time of year for hybrid tea roses. Again, look for dead or diseased canes. Remove canes that have grown in the wrong direction and will limit sunlight penetrating the plant.
Perennials
Wait until these have died back before getting out your secateurs. Resist the temptation to cut them back too hard, but it is an excellent opportunity to reshape the appearance of many of your flowerbeds.
Evergreens
A light pruning will be ideal for evergreens, and you should remove dead and damaged branches. If you want to cut hard, wait until spring so they have a chance to bounce back in the warmer weather.